The process of Westernisation within the Ottoman Empire that accelerated in the latter half of the nineteenth century impacted not only state institutions but also social life, influencing the interior design of buildings constructed in the European style. Among the most luxurious decorative elements, lighting fixtures were particularly affected by the intensified commercial relations with France and England. Products were sourced from crystal manufacturers in these countries, and new designs were made reflecting the styles they popularised. Documents and sketches preserved in the COA Ottoman State Archives suggest that many crystal chandeliers in the Dolmabahçe and Beylerbeyi palaces may have been commissioned from the renowned French Baccarat Crystal Factory under Sultan Abdülaziz (reign 1861-1876). While these chandeliers generally lack seals or signatures indicating their origin, many coloured crystal examples have been found to bear the inscription ‘BACCARAT’. The opulent Baccarat chandeliers, which garnered attention and won numerous awards at the 1867 International Exhibition in Paris – to which Sultan Abdülaziz was invited as Emperor Napoleon III’s guest of honour – became symbols of power and wealth in both European and Ottoman palaces.
This chandelier in the SSM Furniture and Decorative Arts Collection, located in the Blue Room of the Atlı Köşk, is a less elaborate version of the piece in the Entrance Hall (inv. no. 400-0032). Both chandeliers, featuring red and green crystal decorations, closely resemble the Baccarat crystal chandeliers in the Fountain Hall of the Beylerbeyi Palace. The cables later added to the branches suggest that the chandelier, originally designed for candlelight in the nineteenth century, was subsequently adapted for electric lighting.
The two-tiered chandelier features a cut crystal bowl adorned with leaf motifs, from which 40 curved, prismatic branches rise. At the end of each branch is a red, tulip-shaped candlestick holder with gold-leaf borders, accompanied by a small white dish decorated with clover motifs. The edges of the dishes are surrounded by crystal prism pendants, enhancing the chandelier’s illumination. Crystal shades with scalloped edges and incised vegetal patterns crown the candlestick holders. Each branch also supports a pendant in the form of a tulip, decorated with gold-bordered clover motifs on a white background. The pendants are arranged in alternating green and red, corresponding to the colours on their inner surfaces.
On the upper tier, decorative horn-type branches rise from a vase adorned with red and green details. These branches support twenty tulip shaped pendants, ten in red and ten in green. The chandelier’s vase-shaped finial, crowning the entire piece, is embellished with leaves and geometric patterns in red, with gold-leaf borders.
